Viewers find objectionable content on YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids, which is essentially a stripped down version of YouTube that curates kid-friendly content, is surfacing videos with inappropriate content to some of its young viewers, according to The New York Times.

Parents have complained about seeing content that includes popular Nick Jr. characters being burst into flames, and Disney Jr. characters turning into monsters, for example.

Google argues the amount of objectionable content on YouTube Kids is negligible, but backlash from parents has been swift. Less than .005% of the millions of videos viewed on YouTube Kids in the past 30 days had inappropriate content, according to YouTube's global head of family and learning content Malik Ducard.

Regardless, many parents have posted on Facebook about YouTube Kids' inappropriate content, which paints the app negatively and makes even this small figure a high-priority problem for the company.

The objectionable content issue with YouTube Kids highlights Google's shortcomings in moderating content on its platform, and comes about seven months after many advertisers pulled their ads from YouTube due to brand safety concerns. Though Google has stepped up its brand safety measures since April, the objectionable YouTube Kids content is likely due to the vast amount of content uploaded to YouTube.

Over 400 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute, which equates to a staggering 576,000 hours of content per day, likely making the task of content moderation arduous.

Objectionable content hurts YouTube Kids' chances of becoming the go-to digital platform for kids content. This is problematic as kids increasingly look to consume content on digital platforms and turn away from traditional TV — Disney Channel has lost nearly 4 million subscribers over the past three years, for example.

Additionally, hosting unfavorable content hurts YouTube Kids' chances of capitalizing on lucrative digital ad spend directed toward young viewers under 13, which is projected to reach $1.2 billion in 2019, up from $600 million in 2016, according to a PwC study commissioned by youth-focused ad tech firm Super Awesome.

If the problem persists, parents may start to substitute YouTube Kids with other digital platforms that are heavily investing into kids content. In this year alone, Netflix, Starz, and BBC have all invested into content aimed at younger children, and these offerings may become increasingly attractive should YouTube Kids' content moderation issues continue.